Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium

Belgium: Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general was 56.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
56.7%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
201st
of 205 countries
All-time high
63.7%
in 1977
All-time low
39.0%
in 2008
Years of data
38
1971–2018

Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium, 1971–2018

02040601971199420181971: 46.3 %1972: 46.4 %1973: 53 %1974: 55.7 %1975: 59.5 %1976: 62.2 %1977: 63.7 %1983: 56.5 %1984: 54.4 %1985: 54.8 %1986: 54.6 %1987: 54.4 %1988: 53.8 %1991: 56.5 %1993: 47.4 %1994: 47.1 %1995: 46.7 %1996: 46.3 %1999: 46.1 %2000: 45.1 %2001: 42.8 %2002: 40.7 %2003: 40 %2004: 41.9 %2005: 40.4 %2006: 40 %2007: 39.5 %2008: 39 %2009: 39.1 %2010: 40.3 %2011: 40.7 %2012: 40.7 %2013: 54.1 %2014: 54.3 %2015: 54.9 %2016: 54.4 %2017: 55.8 %2018: 56.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium is 56.7%, measured in 2018.

That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 45.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium peaked at 63.7% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 2008.

That places Belgium 201st out of 205 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.

Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%) in Belgium, 1971 to 2018.
Year % Change
1971 46.3%
1972 46.4% +0.2%
1973 53.0% +14.3%
1974 55.7% +5.0%
1975 59.5% +6.8%
1976 62.2% +4.6%
1977 63.7% +2.4%
1983 56.5% -11.3%
1984 54.4% -3.7%
1985 54.8% +0.7%
1986 54.6% -0.2%
1987 54.4% -0.5%
1988 53.8% -1.1%
1991 56.5% +5.1%
1993 47.4% -16.1%
1994 47.1% -0.6%
1995 46.7% -1.0%
1996 46.3% -0.9%
1999 46.1% -0.3%
2000 45.1% -2.3%
2001 42.8% -5.0%
2002 40.7% -5.0%
2003 40.0% -1.7%
2004 41.9% +4.9%
2005 40.4% -3.6%
2006 40.0% -1.1%
2007 39.5% -1.1%
2008 39.0% -1.4%
2009 39.1% +0.5%
2010 40.3% +2.9%
2011 40.7% +1.1%
2012 40.7% -0.1%
2013 54.1% +32.9%
2014 54.3% +0.3%
2015 54.9% +1.1%
2016 54.4% -0.8%
2017 55.8% +2.5%
2018 56.7% +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 55.2% 46.3% 63.7% 7
1980s 54.7% 53.8% 56.5% 6
1990s 48.4% 46.1% 56.5% 6
2000s 40.9% 39.0% 45.1% 10
2010s 50.2% 40.3% 56.7% 9

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 198 Netherlands 62.6% compare
  2. 199 Bosnia and Herzegovina 62.2% compare
  3. 200 Croatia 61.6% compare
  4. 202 Suriname 56.5% compare
  5. 203 Slovenia 55.4% compare
  6. 204 Finland 52.2% compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium?
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium was 56.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 1977.
What is the lowest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 2008.
How does Belgium rank for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general?
Belgium ranks 201st out of 205 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-all-students-in-secondary-education-enrolled-in-general-programmes-percent/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
250 places, 8,733 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in general programmes at the secondary education level, expressed as a percentage of the total number of students enrolled in all programmes (vocational and general) at the secondary level. General education is designed to develop learners’ general knowledge, skills and competencies and literacy and numeracy skills, often to prepare students for more advanced educational programmes at the same or higher ISCED levels and to lay the foundation for lifelong learning. General educational programmes are typically school- or college-based. General education includes educational programmes that are designed to prepare students for entry into vocational education, but that do not prepare for employment in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades, nor lead directly to a labour market relevant qualification.